Door-fastener.



P. VOGEL & H. SCHUTTE.

DOOR FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE '19, 1916.

mmgmso Patented May 29, 1917.

x J 5 2%y42 V ZZ U Aw I 13 2a 6 UNllTED STATE PATENT @FFIGE.

FETEB VOGEL AND HENRY SOI-IUTTE, 01E SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

DOOR-FASTENER.

Application filed June 19, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Pnrnn Vocnn and HENRY SoHU'r'rn, citizens of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Door-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fastening devices for doors which are used to supplement the security afforded by he usual door lock, the principal utility of this type of device being in connection with travelers outfits.

Devices of this character are interposed between the face plate of the door and the .keeper or strike plate of the jainb for coacting engagement with the latch openings thereof to fasten the door against opening movement if for any reason the ordinary lock should give ,way or be subjected to unauthorized manipulation. If all doors and their hardware were uniform, there would not be great diificulty in constructing a device of this character but inasmuch as there is a wide variation in size of this particular kind of hardware and as the device is necessarily applicable to doors of all kinds, a problem presents itself in making a device of this character efiectively operable on any kind of a door irrespective of the size of its hardware. Furthermore, doors in high class buildings close with a very limited clearance space between the edge of the door and the jalnb and therefore a device of this character must be of greatly reduced thickness in order to be capable of use on a close fitting door.

@n the other hand, doors in cheaper buildings close with a considerable clearance space and precautions must be taken to prevent a device of this character from being worked loose or into a door releasing position by successive movement of the door within the limits of play afforded by the door lock or fastener.

l/Vith a view of making the device of this invention efi'ective to meet all of the aforenamed and many other requirements we have conceived the novel idea of making the device attachable to the strike plate so that the device will be self-supporting in a proper position while the door is opened, the door being closable into position after the device is secured in position.

A further feature of novelty consists in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Serial No. 104,378.

making the device attaching means not only perform its function as an attaching means before the door is closed, but in addition, to render said attaching means capable of movement responsive to movement of the locked door under attempts to open the same, surreptitiously, in such a manner that the thrust from such movement will be thrown upon a locking body and not upon remaining portions of the device. Furthermore, our novel attaching means additionally functions to always return the locked door toward a fully closed position, this feature being important where the door has considerable play, and also, where the opening in the strike plate and in the face plate are larger than usual.

Other features and objects of the invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a view in elevation looking at the strike plate of a door jamb with the device of our invention shown attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the device in an unlocked or unlocking position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the position which the device assumes when the door is closed and locked by said device.

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of said device, detached from the strike plate, and showing the locking. body turned into a locking position, as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view of the detached device, or a portion thereof, viewing the opposite side from that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the position of the parts when the door is being forced toward an opening position with the fastener applied thereto.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

As illustrated, 1 designates the jamb of a door which is shown provided with a keeper or strike plate 2, the latter having the usual latch opening 3 and bolt opening 4. The latch opening 3 has vertical walls 5 and 6. A door is indicated at 7 and it is shown provided with a face plate 8 having a latch opening 9, one wall of said opening being indicated at 10, and the other at 11. A latch 12 is shown in a retracted position. We have shown the device of our invention drawn full size and by reason of the fact that doors very often close with a clearance of one-sixteenth of an inch, it will be seen that our device, which is less than onesixteenth of an inch in thickness, will readily fit in and permit a door to be closed without crowding.

Next referring more particularly to the specific construction of the device of our invention 13 designates a frame which is of generally rectangular and flat construction. As shown more particularly in Fig. 5, said frame is composed of a main plate 14 and an auxiliary plate 15, the same being suitably seeured together by means such as rivets 16. This frame is thus composed of a relatively heavy or thick metal member and a relatively thin member. Journaled in said frame is a stem 17 which is preferably disposed on the upper edge of the plate 1%, the plate 15 being bent over the stem 17, as indicated at 18, to hold the stem in position. e find that we can provide a stem of less diameter than the thickness of plate 14: so

that when the upper edge of plate 15 is bent over the stem, it will be flush with the outer face of plate 1A. On the outer end of stem 17 we provide a loop or like finger grip 19 and the frame is equipped with a suitable stop 20 to limit turning movement of the bow into a locking position. When the bow is in an unlocking position, it will lie in the plane of the frame 13, as shown in Fig. 2. On the opposite end of the stem 17 is a locking body or lug generally indicated at 21 and which will be described in detail. Said lug is eccentrically disposed on the stem 17 so that when the device is in an unlocking position the lug will be flush with the frame 13, as regards the door side thereof. Said lug is provided with oppositely disposed shoulders, one being indicated at 22 and being designed to engage wall 6, of the strike plate opening, and the other being designated at 23 and being designed for engagement with wall 10 of the latch opening in the face plate.

The frame is provided with means whereby it may be attached in supported relation and between the door and the jamb, and in the preferred construction, said means is arranged for engagement with the strike plate, and preferably with the walls of the latch opening of the latter.

As illustrated, said means comprisesrelatively oppositely acting members or lugs, one of said lugs being formed by elongating plate 1%, as shown at 2st, and bending the terminal end 25 at right angles to the plane of the frame for engagement with wall 5.

The remaining lug is indicated at 26 and is slidably mounted upon the frame 13. Said lug 26 is provided with a pin 27 which is longitudinally movable in a slot 28, the lat ter and the pin 27 being preferably countersunk. A relatively strong spring 29 is interposed between said lugs and serves to hold the latter in separated relation. Thus when the device is applied, the lug 26 will first be engaged with wall 6 of opening 3 and then the frame will be retracted in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 until lug 25 is abreast of wall 5 whereupon lug 25 will be moved into the position shown in Fig. 2 with the spring 29 undercompression. Thus the spring 29 will serve to support the device in the position shown in Fig.2 until the door is closed, and also while the door is being closed. At this point it is desired to point out the important function which the lug 25 performs, especially if the door closes with a slight clearance, namely, it holds the frame against longitudinal movement to the left of Fig. 1 under friction stress of the closing door. Thus we insure a proper position of the lug 21.

Assuming that the device is in the position shown in Fig. 2, the door 7 will now be closed and the latch 12 will ride on a projecting part of the frame 30, overhanging or overlapping wall 6, so that the latch will be retracted to its limit and form a solid abutment when the door is closed and will be held retracted by the frame 13. After the door is closed, the bow 19 will be turned from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby turning the locking lug 21 substantially degrees so that shoulder will be presented for engagement with wall 6 and shoulder 23 will be presented for engagement with wall 10. Thus should the door be pushed toward an opening position, it will be securely fastened against opening movement beyond a limited extent.

Our device has been purposely illustrated in connection with a door having a relatively large sized latch in order to bring out the applicability features of the device to doors of different sizes, or rather to doors having 1'.

hardware of different sizes. Now the first thrust on the door, as shown in Fig. 3, would compress the spring 29 and place the same under greater compression than normal. In other words, the wall 10 would first strike shoulder 23, and thereafter, further stress on the door would shift the whole device in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, until shoulder 22 engaged wall 6. At this point, it will be noted that practically all the strain would be imposed on lug 21. While the device is retracted, the latch 12 will still bear against the frame, more particularly, against arm 24 thereof. As soon as opening thrust on the door is released, then spring 29 will expand and return the parts to the position shown in Fig. 3, or substantially so, it being understood that an exaggerated amount of play is shown in Fig. 3. N ow because of this restoring action of the spring it will be seen that repeated move ment of the door cannot dislodge our device because the frame 13 will be held between the door and the jamb in such a manner as to always hold the opposing lugs in pos1- tions to engage walls 5 and 6. Furthermore, the interior position of the lugs between the door and the jamb clearly renders these parts inaccessible from being picked from the outside of the door. By reference to Fig. 3, it will not only be seen that the lugs are disposed between the door and the jamb, but that they are within the latch opening of the strike plate and are protected or housed by the frame 13. We prefer to make the stem so that it will turn snugly in the frame thereby preventing the lug from being worked back into an unlocking position.

Now it will be seen by reference to Figs. 3 and 7 that the latch 12, being retracted to its limit, forms a solid abutment for the body 21 and therefore the latter cannot be sprung or sheared off from connection with the stem 17. Furthermore, in the position shown in Fig. 7, where thrust is being applied to open the fastened door, it will be seen that the locking body rests against the latch 12 so that all of the strain is taken up by said body and is not imposed on either the stem or the frame. Attention is also directed to the fact that the locking body presents a fiat face 30, to the latch 12, and be- H cause of this fact, and the flat shoulders 22 and 23, it would be impossible to turn body 21 out of a locking position by oscillating the door between the limits disclosed by Figs. 8 and 7. The function of the restoring spring 29 will be clearly seen by reference to Fig. 7 and it will also be observed that the entire frame can shift in the direction of its length to permit member 21 to be impinged on opposite sides.

It is believed that the novelty and utility of our invention will be fully understood from the foregoing description and while we have herein shown and described one specific form of our invention we do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

1. A door fastener comprising in combination, a frame provided with means for attachment thereof while the door is open with said means in position to lie between the door andjamb after the door is closed, and a device carried by the frame for coaction with the door and the jamb and between the same to fasten the door in a closed position, substantially as described.

2. A door fastener comprising in combination, a frame provided with spring means for frictional attachment of said frame between the door and the jamb, and a device carried by said frame for coaction with the door and the jamb to fasten the former in a closed position, substantially as described.

3. A door fastener comprising in combination, a normally free and portable frame provided with means for removable attachment of said frame to a strike plate of the jamb, and a device journaled in said frame .for coaction with the door and the strike plate to fasten the former in a closed position, substantially as described.

t. A door fastener comprising in combination, a frame having relatively actuated lugs for projection into the latch opening of a strike plate for engagement with the walls thereof to support said frame against the door amb, and a locking device for said frame coacting with the door jamb and door to fasten the former in a closed posi tion, substantially as described.

5. A door fastener comprising in combination, a frame having relatively actuated lugs for projection into the latch opening of a strike plate to engage the walls thereof to support said frame against the door jamb, said frame extending in housing relation to said lugs to cover the same when they are in said opening, and a locking device on said frame for coaction with the door and jamb to fasten the former in a closed position, substantially as described.

6. A door fastener comprising in combination,-a flat frame adapted to be disposed between a door and jamb and having a fixed lug for engagement with that wall of the strike plate opening nearest the stop of the jamb to limit inward movement of the device under door closing friction, a spring actuated lug on said frame engaging the opposite wall of said opening to coact with said fixed lug to support said frame and permit of retracted movement of said frame and acting to restore said frame, and a locking device mounted onsaid frame for coaction with the door and jamb to fasten the former in a closed position, substantially as described.

7. A door fastener comprising in combination, a frame composed of a relatively thick. flat plate, a stem journaled on one top edge of said plate, a relatively thin plate secured to said thick plate and having one edge bent over said stem to hold the same in position, a door locking device on one end of said stem, and a finger grip on the other end thereof, substantially as described.

8. A door fastener comprising in combination, a frame composed of united members, a stem rotatively journaled between said members, a door locking member on one end of said stem, and a finger grip on the other end thereof, substantially as de scribed.

9. A door fastenercomprising in combination, a frame adapted to be interposed between the face plate and strike plate of a door structure and having means engaging the opening in the strike plate to hold the frame in position, a locking device mounted on the frame for engagement in the latch opening of both plates, and said frame being extended across the opening in the strike plate to retract the latch away from said device, substantially as described.

.10. A door fastener comprising in combination, frame means shiftably attachable to the strike plate, and a lockin body car ried by the frame means and having a flat face for abutment in supported relation against the door latch and also oppositely disposed flat shoulders for engagement with opposing Walls of the face plate and strike plate to fasten the door, said fiat face and said flat shoulders serving to hold said locking body against movement from a locking position, substantially as described.

11. A door fastener comprising in combination, a frame adapted to be disposed abreast of a strike plate before the door is closed and adapted to lie between the door and strike plate after the door is closed, a device on said frame for eoaction With the door and strike plate to fasten the door in a closed position, said frame having means engaging the strike plate and normally acting to hold the frame in a horizontal position and maintaining said device in looking engagement with the door and strike plate in opposition to oscillating 1 movement of the door, substantially as described.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our oWn, We hereby aflix our signatures.

PETER VOGEL. HENRY SCHUTTE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

